2018-19 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Terrence Ross

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DETROIT, MI – JANUARY 16: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic looks at the clock during the fourth quarter of the game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on January 16, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit defeated Orlando 120-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

2020 Outlook

Terrence Ross certainly picked the right season to have a breakout year.

Of course, so many believed Ross was capable of having a season like this. Now the question is twofold — can he do it again and what do you pay for him to play like this?

Ross will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. In a year where a lot of teams have money — and there are some big fish who could possibly move teams — there is a fair question about what kind of market Ross could net.

Then again, Ross’ skill set is one that every team could need. He was worth four or five wins for the Magic quite clearly from his energy and scoring burst. It is not something that is easy to replace.

With Lou Williams taking himself off the board by signing a contract extension with the LA Clippers, teams looking for that kind of bench help will probably look Ross’ way. There is no doubt he will see a good pay increase over the $10.5 million he got paid in the last year of his contract this year.

He has certainly earned that much. And even if he dips in production some, he still should find a valuable role off the bench somewhere.

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The question again is how much is a team willing to pay. It certainly should be more than $12 million per year and could approach $15 million per year when it is all said and done. Maybe even more.

Then there is the question of whether a team will be willing to try him as a starter.

Ross should have a lot of options and a pretty robust market to approach this offseason. Some team is going to push to acquire him and the Magic may have a tough time justifying matching considering their own cap position. But perhaps Orlando will.

For the Magic specifically, Ross is important. He provides an offensive punch the team does not have anywhere else. Really it is an offensive punch the team has not had since maybe even Tracy McGrady. The ability for a player to just go on a massive scoring binge regularly is not something easily replaced or replicated.

Ross should still be able to produce at this or near this level for a few years. There is no reason to think he will have any significant drop off. And that will make the decision even tougher for Orlando.

Ross delivered a stellar season when he absolutely had to.